Better Off
by Alicia Vale
Summary: Finn needs to talk about his romantic troubles, but Jake isn't there. Somehow, the brave but depressed hero finds himself standing ready to knock on the door of a vampire, hoping she won't laugh in his face. Short, sweet, somewhat fluffy oneshot with a bad summary. Because I suck at summaries. Little bit of implied Finn/Marceline, not much.
1. Better Off

**Hey guys! This is a short oneshot, very short. I love it though. If you're into action and only action, don't read. It's sweet, about Finn getting burned—literally, then figuratively—by two girls and Marceline trying to comfort him. Not too major of a pairing, but it is a very sweet moment between the two. I hope you enjoy it! I certainly did; it was a fun little piece to write, although I think I could have done so much more with the idea. So…if you tell me this doesn't suck then I **_**might**_** write a sequel/continuation. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Adventure Time or any of the characters (mentioned) in this fanfiction!**

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Finn didn't know why he was at Marceline's house.

Well actually, he did.

Jake was out with Lady Rainicorn, and Finn needed someone to talk to. Someone he could trust to be there, someone he could rely on. Someone to support him, to hold him up. Marceline would do that without question; she would always be there for him. She didn't have much of a choice, really...she was a thousand years old. How many friends did she have? The thought made Finn even more depressed. Marceline wouldn't age, but he would. An age gap would stretch between them until friendship became awkward. It would be even more of a gap than the one between him and Bubblegum. Would they be able to remain as close? And what would happen when Finn...died? Marceline would have to watch all her friends die and never join them. Maybe that was why she had been so...eccentric...at their first meeting. She had kicked them out; maybe to make a bad impression? Then she had realized how cool they were and gone through with her whole henchman plan to prove that she was alright too. Now Finn felt guilty, just for existing. The depression and guilt only worsened his previous condition.

Flame Princess had just trampled his heart. Yup, another princess had stolen away Finn's dreams until he was naught but a soulless, dreamless, empty shell, a husk of a boy. His heart was torn out, his mind shredded, his soul completely shriveled up. No matter what he did, he would always have this feeling of brokenness, this absolute agony. He had been so in love this time… he had been so sure…but Flame Princess was furious at him. And he was in despair. He was the ship without a bottom. He was the bird without wings. He was—

"Hey Finn. What's up?" Marceline was floating in her doorway. She was wearing a tiered black and red lace skirt that fell to just above her knees, a black strapless top with the phrase "Bite Me Again; I'll Bite Back" in dripping red letters, and black flats. She looked like she had been about to go out, like on a date or something. She looked…nice.

"Er, hey Marcie. Can we talk?" Finn asked awkwardly, scuffing his feet and having second thoughts. Had he come to the right place? Had Marceline really been going somewhere? Did she even want to talk to him? Maybe it could wait until tomorrow.

"Oh boy, this sounds serious. Come on; I know a place," Marceline interrupted his hesitation. She gently took his hand and flew out of her cave, gliding easily through the air.

The flight brought back memories of red bowties and castle "sacking," of escaped fathers and stolen guitars. Memories flowed into Finn's mind like a flood, as though a dam had broken to allow the river to flow through his mind. He remembered every time he had spent with the vampire; the epic battle, the mutual understanding, the music, the terrible advice…

Finn smiled warmly. He looked up at the vampire, taking in her unusually nice clothes. This made him remember why he had hesitated to talk to her in the first place.

"Hey Marceline?" he asked cautiously. He really didn't want to set off the vampire who was carrying him through the sky.

"Yeah?" she replied, not looking down. He was a little glad and a little nervous at the go-ahead.

"I wasn't..." he blushed a little, "uh, interrupting any plans, was I?"

"Just a date with some demon my dad set me up with," Marceline waved off his concerns. Finn breathed a sigh of relief at her dismissive tone.

"Which demon?" Finn wanted to know, processing her actual answer.

"He's—or he used to be—friendly enough, but demons really aren't my type," she answered, chuckling and not handing out any names.

"I could come back tomorrow?" Finn suggested, offering them both a way out of this situation. Marceline wouldn't get into trouble with his dad and Finn wouldn't have to talk about his problems. He thought that would be better for them both. That is, until Marceline's grip on his hand tightened.

"No way," she said assertively. "You are doing me a favor by interrupting this date, believe me. I'd rather be with you than in the Nightosphere—possibly getting raped by some random demon and his friends. People change over the millennia," there was a long pause. "You're my best friend, Finn. You know that, right?" he hadn't known that. She was one of his best friends, but he was really one of hers?

"Now I do," he said, embarrassed. Marceline laughed.

"You can come to me any time, day or night. As long as it's something of some importance, not that Jake created a new ice cream flavor," she said honestly. Finn's smile returned.

"Probably bacon," he joked.

"Hm?" a distracted Marceline looked down.

"He'd make bacon flavored ice cream," Finn explained. The vampire chuckled.

"Poor Beemo would end up as the taste tester," she predicted. Now it was Finn's turn to laugh. Then the pair fell silent, an awkward kind of silence, until they approached a large willow tree. Finn then paused in enjoying the wind in his face and closed his eyes as Marceline flew him flew him through a lush curtain of green and set him down beside the wide trunk, beneath the sheltering green tent. He opened his eyes to gently flowering blossoms, waving among fluttering fronds of emerald that brushed the grass. It was very serene. Especially when, for a change, the vampire lay down on the ground beside Finn as he sat recovering from the slight shock of flying, her hands behind her head, softly denting the grass. Finn smiled as he lay beside her, not leaning on the trunk either. He could remember another time they had done this; a time involving accidentally released sociopathic fathers. They stared up at the peaceful apex of the tree together for a long minute until Finn finally spoke.

"Marceline, I screwed up," he said softly, the words barely brushing past his lips. His earlier solemnity returned, and he sighed, as heavily as his heart.

"What did you do this time?" she asked, dry sarcastic tone masking genuine concern. This was why he had come to her; she wouldn't sweetly take his hand and say everything would be okay. She would be a friend and try to cheer him up. She would be honest.

"I accidentally spilled water on Flame Princess and now she hates me. I'm banned from the Fire Kingdom," he groaned, humiliated as he recalled the event. Marceline winced. She knew about his crush on the princess; she knew practically everything about him. He trusted her with his very soul, his life, and even his heart.

"Ouch," she sympathized.

"And as if that wasn't enough, I went to Bubblegum for help," Marceline made a face.

"Ugh, Bonnibel," she muttered. Finn rolled his eyes.

"Be nice," he elbowed her. "So then I accidentally gave her a black eye and got banned from the Candy Kingdom, too," he explained his situation.

"Jeez, Finn," Marceline said with some trace of teasing amusement in her voice. "You really can't talk to women."

"I know!" he groaned. "I should just avoid women forever and never talk to them ever again."

"You're talking to me, aren't you?" Marceline raised an eyebrow, and Finn blushed.

"But...you're different!" he protested in his own defense.

"How so?" she queried, crossing her arms over her chest in a hilariously indignant pose.

"You're...you?" his reply came out sounding a lot like a question.

"You mean I'm a vampire who plays bass and creeps on you and you roommate?" she clarified for him. Finn considered.

"Uh...sure?" he agreed hesitantly.

"Cool," she shrugged.

"Wait wait wait, you creep on us?" Finn suddenly shouted. Marceline chuckled.

"Didn't I tell you once that I hide in your house all the time?" she asked.

"Well..." he said as he remembered.

"After you had been hiding in my closet..." she hinted.

"Your point has been taken, m'lady," he teased.

"As it should have been," Marceline said sternly before bursting into laughter.

"This isn't funny!" Finn protested, his former mood returning like the tide. "Marceline! I'm supposed to be a hero and I can even talk to girls!" he felt like screaming. Marceline put a hand over his clenched fist.

"Calm down. Someday, you'll find a girl who's just fine and who you can actually talk to. She'll be beautiful, somewhat human-ish, and definitely not a princess," she assured him in an unusually gentle way.

"But..." he began.

"But what?" she asked, a little puzzled.

"But there aren't many humanoids in Ooo! There're the princesses...a few others I'd never ever go out with...and you. And you're...you," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"A vampire who plays bass on an ax and creeps on you?" she said. There was a pause before they both laughed.

"Thanks, Marceline. But seriously. You're the only girl here I'd ever even consider going out with," he said. Marceline blushed.

"Um...thanks, Finn," she said a bit awkwardly. "I think."

"You're not a princess, you're humanoid, I can bear to be around you...yeah, you're pretty cool," Finn chuckled.

"I am so much worse than a princess," Marceline smirked.

"How so?" Finn asked.

"I'm Marceline the Vampire Queen, remember?" she knocked on his skull.

"Oh yeah!" Finn rubbed his sore head. "Forgot."

"Duh," Marceline rolled her eyes. "Immortal queen, supposed to be ruling the Nightosphere as you well know."

"I get it," Finn mumbled. Marceline bit her lip, sensing that she had crossed some sort of line.

"So what's up with you and princesses? You always go after them," she changed the subject, and Finn relaxed.

"I don't know. There's just...something about them," Finn said thoughtfully.

"Stereotypical male. Here's a tip; you're better off without them," Marceline kissed his cheek in a friendly manner and stood. "Want a lift back?"

"Nah...I think I'll walk," Finn replied. Marceline shrugged.

"Suit yourself," she rose into the air. "And don't you dare look up my skirt!"

Then she was gone, gone with the breeze, and he was left to ponder what he had forgotten.

She was immortal.

A queen.

The Vampire Queen.

Marceline.

She was right. He was better off without those princesses...they were too snobby, too spoiled. He needed a girl who didn't inherit much, who wasn't interested in power. Someone like...

Well, someone like her.

Finn stared at a sliver of azure sky that peered briefly through the lush canopy.

"Ah Marceline...you were right. You were right. I am better off without them," he gave a slight smile. "But you? I think I'd like to keep you around for a long time."

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**Aw…wasn't that sweet? Review please!**


	2. AN: BOLO

**Wow, thanks to everyone! Totes didn't expect such an awesome reception from everyone. You guys are the best. I mean seriously; I thought this was meh, okay, but once I got a few reviews...I started to reconsider. I can't help but smile. You've all renewed my confidence. May karma shine upon your futures. **

**Anyhow, due to the amount of favorites, alerts, and reviews, I've decided to write a sequel. It should be up sometime within the next few days. So watch out for a oneshot called I Thought I Told You!**


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